School may be out for summer, but the nation’s education-focused technology startups are still hitting the books, drumming up new business and new investments to capitalize on overwhelming demand for innovation from primary and secondary schools and colleges.

A multimillion-dollar expansion of the Limestone County Career Technical Center could be considered by the county school board. The expansion would create about 22,000 square feet of instructional space and could be completed by October 2015.

For California to maintain its leadership in high-tech innovation, the state must emphasize helping students become literate in STEM, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson said as part of his STEM Task Force-issued Blueprint for STEM report. The report offered recommendations in seven general areas, including public awareness, access and framework.

Youth Digital released its online 3D Printing & Modeling 1 course for children (ages 8-14). Students will work with Blender, a professional-level, open-source 3D modeling and animation suite, to sculpt, texture, arrange and render their own 3D creation. At the end of the course, students can order 3D prints of their creations from Shapeways.